Tuesday, July 30, 2013

This last week has been alright I guess... it was pretty normal to
start off with... just going around talking to people and all... I ate
a LOT of fufu this week... I guess since I am white or something
people like giving us Ghanian food to eat. Then Saturday we had two
baptisms!! It was way cool... I was able to baptize the both of them
plus one other person that the Praso elders asked me too. Their names
were Frank and Phillip... it was a cool experience! Then when we got
back from the baptisms (we have to go to Naoma Krome since that is the
closest place with a baptismal font) I started to come down with
something. These last few days have really really sucked... lots of
nasty nasty stuff. I think I probably was only able to get an hour of
sleep that night... I haven't been able to sleep more than an hour at
a time since I got sick... :( But I was able to get some antibiotics
and I am slowly starting to feel better... the doctor said he thinks I
caught Typhoid fever... I guess that shot didn't work :( I still am
in quite a bit of pain but my companion wanted to come to Praso to
email today so I was willing to come... I think I just needed to get
my mind away from some things. But yeah... lets see... it is hard out
here but it will help me grow stronger I guess... I got seven letters
this last week and that was AWESOME to get! Loved being able to read
stuff from the family! I wish Eric and Angela the best of luck this
week with everything!! Thank you guys for all the love and support!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

So... this week has been pretty casual... lots of teaching (well at
least when people keep their appointments) and a lot of walking! I am
picking up on some Twi, now I can say most of the basic phrases but I
have a hard time understanding much. My companion can understand most
of what the people say and he can just speak a little so it is a
challenge out here. I have sure been eating a lot of fufu since I
have been out here and I like it quite a bit... it is just that the
soup that I have it with is a little bit spicy. And since you eat it
with your hand, the soup gets into my wounds on my hands from washing
my clothes. Washing clothes by hand sucks... both times now my hands
have been bleeding after I finished... My hands have been rubbed raw,
but it is what I have to do... I was told that I could buy a little
washing machine but it would be like 100 US Dollars, 200 cedis. The
power and electricity is just ridiculous out in Nyenasi... I think it
has gone out every day since I got here and we had no power fromSaturday night to Monday afternoon. It stinks not having fan since
there is no AC... makes it kind of hot in the home.
So... we should have two baptisms this Saturday... it is two little
boys, I think they are 15 years old... they don't speak English but I
think they understand most of it. They are awesome kids who I think
and hope that they will continue to go to church as they have learned
quite a bit... I think they have been talking with the missionaries
for the last four months now.
Yep... Some people here just love me and want to talk to me because I
am white... it is weird... I think I have had three women tell me I am
beautiful and say that I need no marry them... it is rather kind of
weird... I have had times where I wish I was black here... it is
starting to be weird to imagine so many white people in one area back
home now... what has Ghana done to me?
But yeah... I enjoy hearing from you guys! Love you all so so much!!!
Ybesha! (We will meet again in Twi)

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Hey Everyone! So... I guess I will probably email on Tuesdays since
that is when we have District Meetings and when we will be in town.
So... life is all right... it has been raining quite a bit and I am
getting pretty used to the weather... I am actually getting cold at
night! But yeah... I tried fufu and banku the other day and they
weren't actually all that bad... it is weird though that you are
supposed just to swallow it and that you don't chew it... but yeah..
I also ate some dog today and it tasted alright but it was a little
fatty. Nyenasi has probably about 500 to 1000 people and it is a
weird little village... all the homes are made of mud and these like
bamboo stick things. It has been hard but I think that I am getting
accustomed to it quite a bit more. We are teaching lessons but our
investigators aren't coming to church... apparently people don't keep
their promises or commitments here... President has all the
missionaries teach the importance of people keeping their promises for
the first lesson... when we did that I was surprised but now it is
starting to make sense. Stuff is a lot cheaper here... garments are
just 50 peswes which is 25 cents. But yeah... life is good.. kids
look at me like I am a freak because i am white... I think that it is
kind of funny... I cleaned our apartment yesterday and many it is
dusty... we have to keep our windows open since there is no AC... and
also we don't have any clean water so we have to buy water in plastic
bags to use for anything... but its cool. Our town has goats,
chickens, dogs, and sometimes cattle just roaming everywhere...
weird... my first though when I got to my area was that i am in the
ghetto out in the middle of nowhere... I went to a school the other
day and it was just a shelter like a wooden pavilion with nothing else
but a chalkboard... sad to see the poverty in this area. Church was
interesting because everything was in Twi... it was DEFINITELY
different... they had me bear my testimony and then they had someone
translate it for me... it is weird that it is just my companion I can
talk to except for the one other time a week when we have district
meetings... but he is cool and fun... Yep that is life for me! Love
you guys so so much! Miss everyone but it is cool... Life will move
on!
Wish everyone my best!
Elder Trevor Walston

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Hey guys! So I just got to my first area just a few days ago. I am in
Nyenasi. It is pretty much in the bush... its kind of ridiculous but I
have been enjoying it there so far. It is kind of hard though because
almost all the people there don't really speak English. Most people
only speak Twi. My companion is way cool... He has been out for about a
year now. His name is Elder Molefe and he is from Botswana. I am
actually 10 days older than him though. Its been cool to have him as my
trainer. He actually said that they put me in the worst conditions out
of any area in the mission. They have only ever had one white elder
out in this area... Yay :) Everyone here calls me "abrunee" which means
white man. I think I was called that at least 200 times yesterday. I
wouldn't be surprise is most of them had never seen a white guy before.
Its a bit of a culture shock but it is pretty cool. It is just a very
small branch. I have written a few letters here but I can't send them
because I forgot to bring envelopes and stamps and I can't buy stamps,
you have to just take your letters to the post office to mail... and the
closest post office is over an hour away. Nyenasi is a crazy town.
Our apartment is a small little place with no hot water, no AC, and no
clean water just behind the church... like 10 feet behind. Its cool
though. I still haven't gotten any letters from the family yet :( But I
got one from Hannah just a few minutes ago. We had a Zone Conference
today so I am in Cape Coast and I am getting to email. I don't know if I
will get to very often since I there isn't any internet in Nyenasi...
or phone service for that matter. Life is good though! I forgot to
bring pictures from home so you guys should send me some in letters :)
Soo... yeah.... Love you guys! Till next time!

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Hey guys! So we got to go to the Accra Ghana Temple today and do a
session there. That was a pretty neat experience. And only about 20
of the elders have been endowed (most of the Africans didn't come
endowed) so most of them are going through for the first time today and
tommorrow. It is cool to see. But yeah... ever since I got here my
stomach and chest has felt weird... I geuss I am just getting used to
the food or something even though it is pretty much rice for every meal
EVERY day. But life is good and I am not going to complain. It has
been a lot of learning and teaching and everything. I am excitted to
get out of here and into the mission field. I am starting to be able to
understand people better here. Only seven more days after today and
then I go to Cape Coast! I saw my mission president today at the
temple. I love you guys! Still haven't gotten your letters yet but we
will see when they come. Take care! And you guys should email me. Love
you guys!!!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Hey! Just wanted to let you guys know that I arrived safe and sound. It
has been pretty hard so far but I think it is going better. My
companion is Elder Esaiba and he is from Nigeria. He is going to the
Nigeria Logos Mission. It is really hot and humid in the rooms as there
is no AC and we just have a fan. They give you wasy too much food to
eat. Miss ya Guys and love you all. Out of the 13 Americans here, 9 of
them are going to the Ghana Cape Coast Mission. There are 80
missionaries here though. It feels weird being in the minority. It is
kind of hard to understand their accent as well but I am starting to get
a hang of it. I feel bad making them repeat what they say so much.
Love you guys. See ya.